Can't Adjust Timing Dist Vac Can hits block, what means this

6

64Comet404

Active member
Good Day! I hope All are enjoying a pleasant day. I'm doing the Timing on my '64 Comet 404 with the L6/200... I can't turn the distributor counterclockwise no more because the Vacuum Diaphragm hits the block. I've looked at pics of other Six's and none had their cans so close to the block. What does this mean, and how do I correct it?

Thanks
 
It means you likely installed your distributor so that the drive gear was aligned one tooth off from "true"

You can pull the distributor while paying attention to where the rotor is in relation to the gears (so, mark the rotor on the distributor, then see which tooth or valley of the gear lines up best), then rotate the entire distributor in such a manner that you'd have plenty of adjustment available.

Does that make sense?
 
Asa":1ngrowdv said:
It means you likely installed your distributor so that the drive gear was aligned one tooth off from "true"... Does that make sense?
Click to expand...

Yep! I was guessing along those lines... I thought maybe someone removed the distributor for some reason and didn't put it back just right... or worse, that maybe the timing chain slipped or jumped or something... I just got the car in July, and that's the way things have been... the car is in really beautiful original condition... but I believe the previous owner dropped out and never finished high school auto repair shop... or maybe the car was being serviced by Larry, Moe, & Curly Auto Repair Shop, Inc.

This distributor snafu is nothing... the exhaust manifold, the previous owner informed me, with great pride, was replaced by himself... no lie, you could un-screw some of the cheap hardware store clearance rack bolts with your fingers... almost all of them, except for the one that was missing, and including the too tiny ones helicoiled and jb welded into the block... I didn't ask what happened to the original bolts (?)...

I just today finished replacing the carburetor which was also rebuilt by hell's mechanic. I found the leftover carb repair kit parts in the trunk. I want to cry the way he butchered up the drivers side support brace under the hood to install a new master cylinder... and the radio dash panel... all tore up to replace the original radio with some sub-radio-shack quality analog no-name tape eating cassette deck... which was hooked up to some cheap home audio shelf speaker under the seat... Ha!

...but amazingly, the car is in beautiful condition otherwise, 61k original miles, no rust anywhere, the interior looks like new...

I really appreciate your Help with this. I'm going to do exactly like you said. If things work out Okay, and I can get things running smoothly... or just better than what was... I'm going to install an ignition Conversion Kit (Crane Cams XR700).

Thanks so much... I'll post how things turn out...
 
Another way to 'skin the cat' is simply move each plug wire on the distributor cap one position counter clockwise (same direction you rotate dizzy to advance time)....
th


For Example, pull #1 plug wire on the cap, move #5 to where #1 was, #3 to where #5 was and so on...until #1 ends up where #4 was...saves pulling and stabbing the dizzy. Good luck :thumbup:
 
Frankenstang":114xyjud said:
Another way to 'skin the cat' is simply move each plug wire on the distributor cap one position counter clockwise (same direction you rotate dizzy to advance time)....
th


For Example, pull #1 plug wire on the cap, move #5 to where #1 was, #3 to where #5 was and so on...until #1 ends up where #4 was...saves pulling and stabbing the dizzy. Good luck :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Same concept, yup.
Now that I think about it, I'm fairly certain that's actually what I did when I got my DuraSpark II unit installed.
 
Oh heck, ya'll. I re-stabbed mine about three or four times before it came out right. The trick is to twist it clockwise way past what you think is enough and it will probably come out right.

Or you could replug like they show.
 
Frankenstang":3sk84p0f said:
Another way to 'skin the cat' is simply move each plug wire on the distributor cap one position counter clockwise (same direction you rotate dizzy to advance time)....
Click to expand...

...Brilliant! ...no matter what, I gotta try this! Thanks!
 
JackFish":1k3jzk63 said:
I thought I'd mention making sure to find TDC on the compression stroke.
Click to expand...

okay, so if i do the "restab" route, first make sure as per your advice, before proceeding with aforementioned "dizzy" adjustment instructions.

Also, just to confirm, the shop manual says the timing should be 14 Degrees BTC... I hope that's not a mis-print.

Thanks!
 
I didn't do the wire dance. I didn't have time to play and I thought it best to just get things right with the distributor. I took my time, set the engine to TDC, marked everything, everywhere along the way, paid close attention to moving the "Entire" distributor. After moving it, I could see that the new position it was in, would be the correct position, in that, I thought, that an engineer, designing for form and function, would place the distributor in the exact same place, with the vacuum can/diaphragm just about parallel with the block, allowing for movement/adjustment and still allowing for connection of the maleable 3/16" steel vacuum line. The hardest part was getting the distributor hold down bolt to move. A good amount of PB Blaster was a great help with that. One Snafu! ...while doing all this, I stupidly left the battery connected, and I stupidly left the ignition key in the "On" position... :bang: :oopsie: I believe these two overlooked steps, procedures, are the culprits behind the reason why my ignition coil got fried, specifically the secondary windings.

The next day, I borrowed my girlfriend's zippy 2010 Honda Civic LX Coupe and went shopping. I purchased a New Accel Super Stock Chrome Canister Ignition Coil, Part #ACL8140C, $36.99 + Tax... which, by the way is probably, and surprisingly, for being an AutoZone purchase, the Best Price you'll find anywhere, even better than Ebay. With my military discount (Veteran), Grand Total was $35.95.

Let me tell you, after moving your distributor around, and trying to get things right, and thinking that you did... and then attempting to start your car and test your work, and hearing only the sound of a spinning starter... it's very disconcerting, disturbing, and depressing.

With the new coil in place, and after triple checking that everything was in place, the car started right up and after fine tuning the timing, I was ready to get back to working on my carburetor replacement project.

Thanks :D :thanks: :thumbup: to All who contributed their Knowledge and Experience. I would appreciate too if you all kept an eye out for my posts regarding the replacement and tuning of an Autolite 1100 Carburetor :shock: :help: .
 
Frankenstang":3leor4fe said:
Another way to 'skin the cat' is simply move each plug wire on the distributor cap one position counter clockwise (same direction you rotate dizzy to advance time)....
th


For Example, pull #1 plug wire on the cap, move #5 to where #1 was, #3 to where #5 was and so on...until #1 ends up where #4 was...saves pulling and stabbing the dizzy. Good luck :thumbup:
Click to expand...

And years later, this post gets me going. Thanks!

Search function, folks. It works. :D
 
Yeah, I wuz about to ck 2C if I should tellem about the DSII option.
 
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